Standout Junior Linebackers

Linebackers are the centerpiece of a defense. They must possess mobility, toughness, balance, and show the ability to read and react instantly in order to be in the right place at the right time. This is my six-pack of the top performing linebackers in the class of 2022. <strong>C.J. Hicks     6’4” 220     OLB     Kettering Alter</strong> Hicks is, without a doubt, one of the most versatile athletes in the 2022 class. He plays outside linebacker, running back in the triple option set, flexed wide receiver, lead blocker on kickoff returns, and even returner on kickoffs. He is a sure tackler on defense and drives his legs on contact when bringing ball carriers down. He displays great closing speed on run support along with taking good inside-out angles to the ball. C.J. is very athletic and has great balance and body control. Hicks has multiple D1 offers and is already committed to Ohio State. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34375" first="Gabe" last="Powers"]    6’4” 220     OLB     Marysville</strong> Gabe is an outside linebacker that possesses both speed and quickness. He displays great timing when blitzing and consistently makes plays in the opponents’ backfield. He is a punishing tackler that brings his legs and hips to finish the play. Gabe shows he is just as sound of a pass defender as run stopper by showing he has the range to cover the hook, curl, and flat zones. He can cover backs out of the backfield and displays the ability to break on the pass and highpoint the football to make the interception. Powers runs so well that he will be a major special teams’ player at the next level. Like C.J. Hicks, Gabe is committed to the Buckeyes. <strong>Chris Jackson     6’2” 210     ILB     Toledo Central Catholic</strong> If you want a stout inside linebacker that is physical when making tackles and taking on blocks, Chris Jackson is your man. A quick reactor and filler on the inside run and an instant closer to the outside, Jackson is a true head-hunter to the football. Chris is instinctive in pass coverage by taking away the middle hook zones and breaking on passes to the perimeter. A difference maker on special teams cover units, Jackson is a heat-seeking missile to the football and destroys on contact. <strong>Derell Bedingfield Jr     6’2” 190     OLB     Cleveland Benedictine</strong> Few linebackers use their hands as effectively as Bedingfield. He has a powerful grip and can sling blockers to the ground as he closes on the ball carrier. Derell darts off the edge as a pass rusher putting instant pressure on the quarterback resulting in a sack or flushing him out of the pocket. As a pass defender, Bedingfield has great awareness and breaks quickly on the ball. He is athletic enough to flip his hips and change direction in space making him a valuable blocker on kickoff returns and in covering kicks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34447" first="Nathaniel" last="Sulka"]    6’4” 202     OLB     Chardon</strong> Sulka is a tall and rangy outside linebacker that is strictly a perimeter defender. He flashes as an outside pass rusher but is primarily an openfield defender. Nate makes plays in space and can run down or close on the football making sure tackles. Sulka shows great awareness by breaking quickly on quick screen and tunnel screens.  He also has enough speed to run with slot receivers in man-to-man coverage on seam and crossing routes. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34482" first="Gideon" last="Lampron"]</strong><strong>     5’11” 220     ILB     La Grange Keystone</strong> Gideon, for the second year in a row, is one of the leading tacklers in the state. At his middle linebacker position, he owns the territory between the tackles. Gideon is a downhill attacking linebacker that is a quick reactor often meeting a lead blocker on the other side of the line of scrimmage. As a blitzer, he is non-stop to the football recording multiple negative plays per game. Lampron isn’t the biggest player on the field and doesn’t play in one of the larger divisions in the state, but there is no doubt about his love of the game by the hard-nosed attitude he brings each Friday night.